This is our Future
by iHaveRabiess
Summary: Years after a disturbing event, the girls are finally moving on. However, their period of bliss is over when their pasts keep haunting them, all because a new-old enemy comes to Rosewood.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

**Flashback**

_"I... I didn't mean for it to turn out this way, Aria," his voice was quiet. He stepped forward. "I didn't want to hurt you. I just worked with the team for some information for my book. They promised me answers, and that's all I wanted. It wasn't supposed to end up like this. I did fall in love with you. And I still love you now. Please, just let me have one more chance. I'll quit the team. I just want to be with you again, because I love you." He stepped forward and cupped her cheeks. She thought of all the kisses they had shared, and that moment felt nothing like the previous kisses! It had all changed. It would never be the same again. She couldn't look at him as the old Ezra Fitz. He was dead to her._

_And literally, he was dead to her._

_"Don't touch me!" Aria screamed, grabbing a knife from her kitchen counter. "Get back, Ezra! Get back. Don't you dare touch me. Get out of my house, leave town, never come back! I'm giving you a chance to walk away. I don't want you or your twisted lies in my life!"_

_"Hey, don't say that. I love you, Aria. It's not as bad as it seems, just let me be there for you with all honesty," Ezra said, stepping forward again. "My love for you is realer than ever. You and I, we are forever. I know you still want to make this work, and we can. Let's just settle down and talk. I know you won't hurt me. Put that knife down. We need to talk about us."_

_"There is no us anymore, don't you get it?" Aria screamed, threatening the knife at him. "Get out of my house right now, or I'll kill you! I'll call the police. I don't know what I'll do, but we are never going to work this out. If you don't leave, this is going to be so much worse than it already is!"_

_"No, no, no. You're not going to hurt me," Ezra said quietly. "There's no need. I'm not leaving without you forgiving me. I'm determined to make this work, because I'm so lost in love! I still love you. I always have! I know what I am doing with the A-Team is wrong, but I can help you. I will do whatever it takes to have you back, so I'm not leaving until we talk."_

_"We're talking right now, and I say leave!" Aria yelled. "I have forgiven you every time you have hurt me before, but nothing you say or do can make you forgive me for what you've done this time! I've never been so hurt in my life before! No one can ever hurt me as badly as what you have done, so I want you gone from my life." He shook his head, and tried to lean in to kiss her. She refused the kiss, and then she did it._

_She stabbed him._

_"Aria, Aria? You in there?" Spencer's voice echoed through the small Montgomery home. "Hanna, Emily, come on. I think I heard something in the kitchen. Follow me."_

_The three girls wandered into the kitchen curiously. They trembled as they walked into the small kitchen. Their eyes were immediately drawn to the tiny hazel eyed girl who was curled up into a little ball on the kitchen floor, a bloody knife at her side. There was blood on her hands, and she was crying insanely. Tears were freely flowing from her hazel eyes. The girls had never seen her so distraught before. What did she do? Cut herself? But they knew that wasn't the case when their eyes analyzed the room. Because near the tiny girl was their former English teacher with a god damn big stab wound in his torso. He was dead. Ezra Fitz was dead._

_"Aria," Hanna mumbled, stepping closer. "Oh, Aria! What the hell happened in here? You didn't... You wouldn't... You couldn't!"_

_"I did," she whispered, more distraught than ever. "But Hanna, I really did." She paused for a moment, looking like she was in some kind of coma. She looked like Mona when she was in Radley and wouldn't speak to anyone. "I did it. I killed Ezra."_

_"Aria!" Emily cried, falling to the floor, grabbing Hanna's hand as she fell. "How? Why? What happened in here?"_

_"He... he is A. He was trying to touch me, and I... I couldn't let him," Aria whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I told him to leave several times, but he refused. Then he touched me, and I freaked out. I grabbed the knife and I stabbed him. I stabbed him right in the god damn chest! I stabbed him several times! I stabbed him until he fell to the floor unconscious. I killed my boyfriend!"_

_"He's not your boyfriend, he's a creep. He's no good," Hanna said, trying to comfort her._

_"But I killed him! I'm the killer!" Aria cried._

_"No, no, no, Aria, that's not true," Spencer said, cradling the bloody girl into her arms. "It's not your fault, sweetie, okay? You did what you had to do. He was going to touch you when you didn't want to be touched. You did what you had to do. Now, we are going to call the police, and we are going to explain to them what Ezra did. We are going to tell him who he is. It's all over, he can't hurt us anymore. You got rid of the one that hurt us the most. You saved us. You're a hero!"_

_"But... he didn't deserve to die like that," Aria said, sobbing. "No one deserves to die like that! I'm not a hero, Spencer!"_

_"You are," Spencer said, kissing the top of her head in a friendly and coaxing way. "You did what you had to do, I already told you."_


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: hi all! Each chapter will focus on one liar, but sometimes they will have scenes together, so it will be a slight bit blended. This chapter focuses on Aria. The next one will be about Spencer, and the next next about Hanna, and the next next next about Emily! Thank you for reading this

Chapter 2

7 YEARS LATER

**Aria**

"Aria? I can't believe it's you!"

The tiny girl grinned widely, twirling around. She jumped into the man's arms, hugging him tightly. He smelled like expensive cologne, a manly must. She hadn't seen him in forever, but her happiness continued. She was so excited to see him again. She hadn't really had a man in her life since what happened with Ezra, not that this man was even hers. He wasn't hers. She didn't even know if they were still friends. She had guy friends, but she hadn't spoken to anyone she had ever been romantically involved with in the past.

"Jason," she said, smiling brightly. "Wow, it's been a long time. Hey... I'm really happy to see you. I didn't know that you were back in Rosewood!"

"Well yeah, I am. Plane just got in this morning," he explained, smiling back at her sweetly. "I spent some time in NYC to clear my head. Took me longer than I thought, but I had a good experience, for the first time in a while. Anyways, enough about me. How are you holding up?"

"Better," she said confidently. "Well, not the best I could ever be, but better than I thought. I didn't think I could ever be this happy again, but damn, you managed to surprise me. It's really good to see an old friend again. I mean... we _are_ friends, right?"

"That's crazy, of course we are!" Jason exclaimed. "And that's great, it really is awesome that you're feeling better. He was a screwed up man, and I'm sorry you had to go through something like that."

"Sorry? You have nothing to be sorry for," Aria said. "What he did to me, to my friends, to everyone, has nothing to do with you. There was nothing you could have done. Some people are just really messed up."

"I know I couldn't have changed what happened, but Alison was my sister, and she was the root cause of everything," Jason said.

"Jason, blood does not determine what you do in your life," Aria said. "Nothing you did made this happen. Things happen for a reason. At least I found out he was screwed before I was too deep in my life. Luckily, I was just a teenager, and I can blame being young and dumb for falling for that..."

He chuckled, and then looked at her seriously.

"You know, if I could have done something about it, I would have, I promise you," Jason said, sighing. "Sometimes I wish that I could have protected you from him."

She smiled and said, "It means a lot to me that you would even say that..."

"Aria-nator!" an attractive dark-haired male exclaimed, running up to them. "It's your boy Nico! Do you wanna take a walk with m—Wait, who the hell are you, dude?"

"An old friend of Aria's," Jason introduced. "It's Jason DiLaurentis, and you are?"

Aria was surprised by how polite he was to Nico.

"Damn! You're the brother of that dead girl Alison from years ago?" he asked, grinning. "That's insane! Did they ever find out who killed her?"

"They did, but you can read the paper, because I really think reading... would be helpful for you," Jason said, biting his lip. "Yeah, she was my sister. And thanks for the name, buddy."

"Oh, sorry. It's Nico," he said, scratching his head. "I like skateboarding and stuff. BMX, too."

"And you're Aria's boyfriend?" Jason asked.

"What? No, Jason!" Aria cried. "Nico is my friend, and only that."

"Oh, okay, sorry," Jason said, shaking his head. "You know what, Aria? I'll leave you and Nico to talk. I'm gonna head out. I have some other old friends to meet up with. First day back is a hassle."

He walked off, leaving Aria and Nico alone.

"He thought I was your boyfriend? Why?" Nico asked.

She shrugged her shoulders and said with a smirk, "You were talking about walks. Where I come from, walks are pretty damn romantic, you know."

Nico grinned and asked, "I'm still up for a walk... if you wanna." He smiled at her sweetly. "Maybe you'd wanna see some of my new BMX or boarding tricks? I've been practicing. We can go to the park and grind some wheel!"

Aria chuckled and said, "How about no? I would much rather hold your hand and take a romantic walk through the lovely park..."

Nico gazed into her eyes, "Gosh, you look so cute when you talk... I can't help but stare at you."

No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't get him to ask her out!

"Maybe..." she began seductively, "...you want to walk with me? Talk? I don't know. Whatever you want to do." She ran a hand down her breasts casually, causing Nico to look exactly there.

"Damn..." he muttered. "Aria?"

"Mhm?" she hummed.

"Do you wanna... uh... maybe go out some time?" Nico asked nervously, scratching his head. "Like... On a date... for real."

"God, I thought you would never ask!" Aria exclaimed.

She cupped Nico's cheeks and pulled him in for a long kiss, her hands kneading through his dark and silky hair. Life wasn't so bad without Ezra.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note: Here is the next girl! I know the story might seem really Aria-focused so far, but it isn't all about her! It's about each of the liars and how that night (Ezra) is affecting them differently. Soon, there will be a common enemy which pushes them to work together again. Old faces, secrets, and pasts will be returning and creating problems for all of them :)

Chapter 3

**Spencer**

"Hello, lovely," the dashing Brit said, returning into his home at about twenty minutes before midnight. "Work was quite intense at the hospital. Sorry that I'm late home. I've been trying to get home earlier to be with you, but things have been busier than usual. But lord, am I happy to see you tonight!"

His face brightened, and he leaned in for a short kiss. His girlfriend cupped his cheeks and deepened the kiss. She pulled back, her hands resting on his cheeks as they gazed into each other's eyes. She relaxed backwards onto the couch, smiling. She made room for him to sit on their couch.

"No, I totally understand!" Spencer exclaimed, her hand running through his soft hair. "You're my handsome doctor, you're supposed to save a ton of lives. I'm not complaining at all. Sure, I miss you and your lovely presence, but it puts food on our plates, so how can I hate that?"

"I can't argue with that," he joked, chuckling slightly. "When are you going to be applying for that job you wanted? I remember so many dreams of being a successful lawyer once you had gotten out of college."

"Still working on it, and I'm not going to be a house wife for much longer, I promise," she said, sighing. "That women I was talking to... Laura... I have an interview with her Monday morning, and I'm going to give it all I've got! Then at least I can spend the day earning some money instead of just waiting for my gorgeous boyfriend to come home..."

He winked at her playfully, and then pulled her in for a soft, but short, kiss.

"So," Wren Kingston began, toying with her fingers playfully, "I was thinking about getting our house a barn. A nice, lovely, barn. Remember that barn you had when you were a teenager? Your sister Melissa and I were going to move in there, but things were cut short because of a beautiful distraction... Anyways, I was thinking that we could get ourselves a barn, too!"

Spencer thought about it for a moment. She remembered all the sleepovers she had with her friends in that barn back at the old Hastings'. And they weren't good memories. She remembered that Alison DiLaurentis disappeared during one of those barn sleepovers, and that day had always haunted her the most. She always wondered what would have happened if they never had that sleepover... Would Alison still be alive then? Would Aria have been saved from Ezra breaking her heart?

"A barn? I would love that," she lied, but only because she wanted to make her Wren happy. She quickly leaned in and pecked his lips. "I would really love that."

"Great!" Wren exclaimed, chuckling happily. "This is just wonderful. I've got to get speaking to a carpenter. We should probably head up and get a good night's rest, hmm, sweetheart?"

"Or... we could cuddle up by the fire place and enjoy the fact that we actually have some time together?" Spencer suggested. "It's been a while since we have watched The Notebook, you know!"

"Oh, come on, honey, I'm sorry, but as lovely as that sounds, not tonight. We need to get some slumber before the morning arrives, and it's almost midnight," Wren said. "Maybe another day? I promise."

"Only if you promise..." she said, giggling quietly.

"I do promise," Wren whispered, and kissed her lips for a brief second. "Now, my little doll, why don't we head upstairs to our bedroom?"

She smiled as Wren reached over to take her hand. Hand in hand, the couple walked upstairs.

* * *

The next day, Wren left work early because he had called the carpentry crew over to work on the house. He decided he would take some time off of work to not only spend time with his girlfriend, but also to stick around for the home renovations. Grinning, he got home and wrapped his arms around his woman.

"Guess who's going to be home a lot for a while?"

"My best guess is you," she said, chuckling.

She turned around and placed a long kiss on his lips, half hugging him while their lips made contact. She pulled her lips back, and took both of his hands in hers.

"What brought you home early?" Spencer asked.

"Carpenters!" Wren exclaimed, still grinning. "We're starting the barn project today. I called the crew over, and they'll be over in twenty minutes to half an hour. It's going to be marvelous. We mapped everything out, and the sketches look wonderful."

"Wren, wait," she said, sighing. "We didn't talk about the barn project much. Why are we rushing this?"

"Leave it to me, Spencer, I promise that it will be good, and you don't have to worry," Wren said, rubbing his thumb against her cheeks gently. "I knew you wouldn't want to rush into this, and I'm sorry for making the executive decision, but it had to be done. The sooner we start it, the sooner we finish it. And if you don't like one thing, I can tell the men to just break it down and do it again! I won't stop until it caters to your every need, my love."

She smiled and gave in, "Okay, but only because I trust you so much."

"Good, now go get properly dressed, we are going to meet with the carpenters in a short amount of time," Wren said, kissing her cheek. "Get changed quickly, please! We don't have much time until they come."

* * *

When the carpenters arrived, it was unfortunate, because Wren had to go upstairs and get a change of clothes. He had spilled a snack he was eating on his shirt, and he wasn't going for anything except professional when he met the carpenters.

"Honey, go get the door, I'll be down in a moment!" Wren called as he changed his outfit.

Spencer readied herself, and went to the door. She opened it, and saw a crew of tall and buff looking men. No wonder they were carpenters.

"Hi, I'm Spencer, thank you so much for coming!" Spencer exclaimed. "My boyfriend Wren is changing his clothes, but he will be down in just a second. Why don't you all go make yourselves comfortable in the living room? I can make you guys some coffee or something. But first, settle down."

"Thank you, ma'am," a young man named Chris said, stepping into her home. "I could use some coffee, ya know. It's been a long day for this boy."

She chuckled and said, "Of course, of course. I'll just wait till Wren comes down and can keep you company while I make it."

"Hey, it's much appreciated," Chris said, sitting down on the couch. "Antonio, you've got the sketches, right?"

A tan skinned man, who was probably the Antonio guy, nodded his head and said, "Got 'em all. Where's Cavanaugh?"

Chris shrugged his shoulders. There was a knock at the door.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," Spencer said, getting up. She opened the door slowly, smiling as she did. "Hi— _Toby_?"

"Spencer..." he mumbled, his blue eyes flicking up at her sadly. "Hi..."

"Hey, honey, sorry I took so long," Wren said, quickly walking down the stairs. "Is everything all right, sweet heart?" He looked around for a moment. "Sweet heart?" Then he glanced up at the door, and his eyes widened.

"No fucking way!" Wren cursed, gritting his teeth. "_Toby Cavanaugh_?"


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note: Hey, everybody! This will be Hanna's chapter, and Emily will be next.

Chapter 4

**Hanna**

"God, I don't even get how she can strut her ass in those ugly jeans!" Hanna cried, rolling her eyes. "Not saying she has a good ass, because she doesn't. It's bony as hell. I can't imagine what her butt looks like in leggings... Ugh, it just sends shivers down my spine!"

"I hear you," Mona agreed, nodding her head. "Look at her, getting slutty with that guy over there. What's his name? Aiden? He's a little out of her league... and DAMN! She's throwing herself at that boy like there's no tomorrow!"

"I can't watch this train wreck," Hanna said, shaking her head. She picked up her coffee, and looked away in shame. It was too disgusting for her to watch. "Mona, how are you still watching this?"

"Call me a masochist, but I like watching people screw up. Well, at least people that I don't like," Mona said, giggling in a menacing way. "Okay, I'm totally a masochist, but whatever."

"Explains why you blackmailed me and my friends for a long time, little masochist," Hanna half joked.

"I thought we were over that..." Mona mumbled. "It was over eight years ago! I wasn't the one doing it all, okay? How come you guys never pick on Ezra for it?"

"Because the bastard took a knife to his chest because of Aria!" Hanna cried. "And he deserved it. But you are better than him. He lied about who he is. He said he was just helping. We should have known that he was the one behind it all, because the texts stopped right after he died. It was him that caused it all."

"If I knew at the time, I would have told you," Mona said, sighing. "After I got out of Radley, my intentions weren't to hurt you girls anymore. My intentions were to make sure people I care about didn't get hurt, and you were one of those people. Even Aria. I would have told you if I knew."

"And I'm not blaming you at all, Mona," Hanna said. "Can we please just move past this? I want to get away from all the mistakes I made when I was in high school! I'm still trying to get over it all, and this isn't helping."

"That sucks, because speaking of past mistakes..." Mona trailed off, pointing to the door of the Brew.

Hanna's eyes widened as she hissed, "What the fuck is he doing here?"

"Han, you're going nuts in your head, I can tell," Mona said, sighing. "If you want to just talk to him, then go ahead! I won't judge. You probably still need closure, because he never really gave it to you, and you deserve closure. So, are you gonna go talk to him or what?"

She nodded her head and said, "I have to! I don't just want closure, I need to go yell at him. Why is he back, anyways? Was the creepy ass town not good enough for him?"

Mona patted her back and said, "Good luck, honey. Don't take too long. And don't forget all that he's done. Don't forgive him so easily."

"Trust me, Mona," Hanna said, scoffing. "It won't be easy for me to forgive him. I don't even think I ever will. Not after the days, months, I don't even know how long, of depression! All because he wanted to break my heart for some other girl. I am so done with him. But, he's an old acquaintance, so it would be rude for me to not go over there and... beat the shit out of him with my words."

Mona snickered as Hanna walked up to the shaggy haired male. His hair looked longer than before, hitting his shoulders. It wasn't exactly the best look for him, and Mona agreed with that statement strongly. Not that she ever liked him at all.

"Caleb," Hanna hissed.

"Oh. Hanna. Um, it's nice to see you again?" he said, but it sounded more like a question.

"I didn't know you were coming back. Ever." Hanna said, glaring at him.

"Yeah, I didn't know for a long time, either," Caleb Rivers said, scratching his head. "I got back last week. I had to come back to see some old things. Some old people."

Hanna felt almost flattered. She felt like he was talking about her!

"Old people?" Hanna asked, raising an eyebrow. "Has somebody not forgotten about _moi_?"

He sighed and said, "Hanna, that's not what I meant. I mean, of course I haven't forgotten you, but I'm not back in Rosewood to see you again. I came back because someone close to me wanted to see my home town. Where I really grew up. And Rosewood was the place I most felt like I was home."

"You're here with somebody? Somebody? I thought you were a loner! Since when did you have people with you?" Hanna demanded, mortified.

"Wow, so glad I dated you," Caleb said sarcastically. "It's been seven years since we broke up, Hanna. I'm not that same guy. I've grown up. I've moved on. Maybe you haven't, but I have. And I didn't want to tell you who I was here with, because I didn't want you to feel bad, but you're asking, so I'll tell you. I'm here with my fiancé."

Hanna was so mortified. Her whole body was shaking. Caleb had a fiancé?

"A fiancé?" Hanna demanded, angrier than before. "Well, you didn't have to try to hide it from me, because I don't even care! I have a boyfriend, actually, and we are totally in love. God, I don't even know why you're being such an ass, thinking I would be jealous. You're gonna be jealous because my boyfriend is smoking hot, and... yeah!"

Caleb rolled his eyes and said, "Okay, well, that's really great for you. I'm happy for you. Maybe you want to go on a double date. Your boyfriend, you, me, and my fiancé. I'm actually having the wedding here in Rosewood, so if you have totally moved on from me, maybe you would attend. Bring your posse, too, if you're still friends with them."

"We are still friends, and that sounds great!" Hanna snapped. "My boyfriend and I will be coming to your wedding."

"Cool. Start by showing up to the engagement party," Caleb said, smirking. "It's this Saturday. Bring your boyfriend, since you have one."

He didn't believe that she had a boyfriend. And that was because she didn't.

"Where is this girlfriend of yours, anyways?" Hanna said, still jealous and angry.

"She's not my girlfriend, she's my fiancé," Caleb corrected. "And I'm picking her up right now. She should be here any second. She wanted coffee, so I dropped her off an hour ago, and now I'm coming to get her again."

"I just asked where she is, not for her whole god damn life story!" Hanna yelled.

Caleb furrowed his eyebrow. He suddenly grinned, and his arms opened out. Hanna grinned back. Did she have her old Caleb back? She opened her arms as well, and started stepping forward to hug him. But he went to the side of her. He hugged somebody else. Some other girl. It was his fiancé.

"Shelby, hey!" Caleb exclaimed, and kissed the gorgeous blonde's lips. "I missed you. I ran into this girl right here. Uh, she's some girl I used to know in high school named Hanna Marin. We were sort of friends. So I invited her to our wedding!"

The fiancé, Shelby, grinned, and said, "Wow, it's so nice to meet you! I'm Shelby. So, you know Caleb? Isn't he just the nicest man on earth. I'm so lucky to be with him." She kissed Caleb's cheek lovingly. "Well, Hanna, I cannot wait to see you at out wedding! Are you coming to the engagement party?"

"I don't know. Maybe," Hanna said, shrugging as she studied Shelby jealously. The girl was flawless, and she seemed nice, too!

"Well, you should!" Shelby exclaimed. "I would love to see you there and maybe get to know you better. A friend of Caleb Bear's is a friend of mine! Come on, honey. We're going to miss the movie if we don't go now!"

"Yeah, we should go," Caleb said, taking his fiancé's hand. "It was nice running into you, Hanna. I'll see you again soon. Come on, babe."

And Hanna was shocked. Caleb was getting married to some flawless girl, and now she had lied about having a boyfriend just so he wouldn't think she was a loser in life! What web of lies had she gotten herself into?


	5. Chapter 5

Author's note: I didn't really know what to do for Emily, but then this idea popped into my head when I was watching 3x01 of PLL again last night!

Chapter 5

**Emily**

"_You have the right to remain silent. Anything said can be used against you_."

Her eyes were barely able to open. She was so drunk that she couldn't help it. All she knew was that she saw police officers gathering around her, giving her commands, asking for her license. She shakily handed over her purse, and they took it from inside. And then she felt it. Handcuffs. An officer reached over and locked her hands into the handcuffs. She didn't even know what the hell was going on, but she could feel that she was being escorted into a police car, which she was.

The night was a blur. She remembered peeing into a cup for a sobriety test, even though the officers knew damn well that she was drunk. A little too drunk, actually. They realized, after the sobriety test, that her alcohol levels were so high that she wouldn't be able to answer them at all.

In the morning, she woke up, her head feeling dizzy. She woke up in a jail cell. It was not a pleasant morning. She was alone in the cell, her head hurting like hell. She heard footsteps coming towards her cell. She wasn't in the real deal of prison, she was just in that temporary station. The warden came to her cell and popped a key in the lock, twisting and unlocking the door.

"Emily Fields-McCullers," the female warden said, "get up now. You're due in the interrogation room. The officers want to ask you some questions about last night. Do you remember anything from what happened last night, young ma'am?"

"Last night?" she choked, thinking about how much she had to drink. "No, ma'am, I don't know. I might. I just... I need a moment."

"Well, that's a shame, because they want you in there now," the warden said sternly. "Get in there, and just be honest. All they want is the truth from you. It's just a little justice. You know you were real drunk last night, kid?"

"Yes, ma'am, I know," Emily said, struggling to open her eyes. "I don't think we are supposed to be talking, are we?"

The warden rolled her eyes and said, "I was trying to do you a favor and ask for your honesty. But if you want to play it that way, do whatever the hell you want, kid. Let the PD bite your ass. It'll hurt real bad, trust me. Get out of here. They're going to wonder what's keeping you."

She trembled, walking to the interrogation room. The warden followed her, making sure she didn't try to escape. She was nervous. She had dealt with the police before when she was in high school, but it was all only because she knew the person of crime or something like that. Never ever because she was the criminal! She should have known that driving home drunk would be dumb.

"Emily Fields-McCullers?" a bearded man asked for confirmation, and Emily nodded her head. "Wonderful, please have a seat. Jim, do you have the sobriety test results from last night?"

The other officer, Jim, nodded his head and said, "Mhm, Carter. Percentage level was 0.157%. That's quite damn high, sir. Suspect in the room?" Jim approached the table, and sat down next to Carter. "Aye, sleep well, young lady?"

She shrugged her shoulders.

"That's fine, you don't have to talk much about that," Jim said, sighing. "We are here to ask you some questions about last night. Do you remember what happened last night? Can you recall all the events of yesterday for me?"

Emily shrugged her shoulders and said, "I'll try. Well... I woke up, and I was getting ready for work. My son was going to school. But... my son is dead. My son died yesterday, and I was... I was sad about it, I was depressed. My wife isn't in town, she was supposed to get back last night, and she doesn't know what happened to our son, and I..."

"Emily, Emily, no, no. What happened last night?" Carter asked more clearly.

"Oh," she choked. "Well, I was sad that my son died... And I'm still sad... but... but I went to a bar last night because I was so sad, and I had a lot to drink. Like a lot a lot. My wife couldn't pick me up, and I guess I didn't think to call any friends, so I tried driving myself home, which was dumb, but it's what I did, so now, I'm here. And that's the full thing."

Carter nodded his head and asked, "All right, all right. Do you remember driving last night? You may have been drunk, but what can you recall seeing?"

"Just the night sky. I didn't get far from the bar, and I was driving on the free way, there was like nobody there," Emily explained. "Next thing I know, I guess I speeded or something, I don't really know, but, you guys pulled me over. That's all I know."

"Emily Fields-McCullers, did you hit a man last night?" Jim asked, slamming his fist on the table.

"Hit a man?" Emily cried. "Of course not! I may have been drunk, but I know for sure that I didn't hit a man."

"Well, a body was found near the scene of your car," Carter explained calmly. "It was a man, a local. He had been hit by a car, ran over. He was dead and lying down on the road because he was dead. You remember hitting him or what?"

"No, because I didn't hit him!" Emily cried. "I didn't hit him, I swear!"

"Carter, we ain't gonna get nothin' from her in here," Jim said, shoving his partner. "This is gonna go to court, I'm sure of it. But for now, she's gotta start serving the jail time unless she wants to take it with her lawyer and join us in court."

"I know, Jim, I know," Carter said, sighing. "Hey, Fields-McCullers! Do you know how much time you get for your percentage of alcohol?"

"How many days?" Emily asked, sighing.

"Thirty days. One whole month," Carter responded. "You can either do the time, or take this to court. We've got an accusation. The PD thinks you killed that man. It was a hit and run, and that's what we are all supposing. You won't be doing the time for your alcohol only, though. Thirty days is the minimum you'll get. If you're convicted of that murder, it could be anywhere from one year to a life time."

"A life time?" Emily choked. "But I didn't kill him! I am taking this to court if I have to. I want the minimum of thirty days, because that's the crime that I really committed."

"We're gonna have to keep talking about all of this," Jim said, sighing. "Doll, you've got one call, you can make it to anybody you want. Come with me, brown eyes."

She got up from her chair and followed Jim outside and into the station. He gave her the coin needed for the pay phone. She jammed it in the slot and failed the only number she really wanted to call. Paige Fields-McCullers.

"Paige!" Emily cried into the phone. "Honey, it's me, I know, I didn't come home last night. I'm at the police station, and I really need you. Please come here. I have to tell you what's going on, and what happened to Blake... He's not okay. I'm not okay. Just... just be here. I need to see you. I love you..."


	6. Chapter 6

Author's note: Now it will start the cycle back up again. Aria, Spencer, Hanna, Emily in that order. This chapter is all Aria's! Their plots will integrate soon, but the Liar with their name at the top will be the main focus.

Chapter 6

**Aria**

"Wow, I had so much fun," Aria Montgomery said as she and Nico walked through the Rosewood Park together. "Thanks for taking me to the movies, and then on that great walk. I had a really great time with you." He smiled at her, squeezing their hand. They had been walking through the park, holding hands with each other.

"Thank _you_ for letting me take you out!" Nico exclaimed. "I really love hanging out with you. I feel like I've got all the honor when I take you out." He grinned, and cupped her cheeks. He leaned in quickly, satisfying his longing to kiss her all through their second date. They kissed passionately and fiercely, hands running through each other's hair, not minding that they were in a public place._  
_

Pulling back, Aria asked, "Nico, what are we?" He furrowed his eyebrows, confused by her question. "I mean, I was hoping you would define us. We've been out on two dates, kissed a few times... I like you, and I would hope that you like me back. So what are we?"

"Oh. I don't know," he said, shrugging. "Depends on what you want to be." He paused nervously and then asked, "Would it bother you if I called you my girlfriend, though?"

"No, not at all!" Aria exclaimed, grinning. "Would it bother you if I called you my boyfriend?"

"Of course not," Nico said, shyly biting his lip. "So... You know... Maybe you would wanna actually like let me call you my girlfriend?"

Her face brightened up. She had been waiting for Nico and her to become an item for a long time. She didn't know why she had the need to have him as her boyfriend. He just seemed like the most plausible person to like her. The other males in her life were all unavailable. Nico had always been the guy that was there for her, so she allowed herself to desire him.

"Nothing would make me happier!" Aria exclaimed, and shoved Nico closer to her, desperately leaning in to kiss him. He returned the desperation, his hands yanking her closer, his lust showing. He wanted it just as much as she did. He kissed her back with the same fiery passion. The newly formed couple engaged in each other, enjoying the taste of each other's lips.

"Excuse me."

Their kiss was broken by the sound of a familiar male voice. Well, very familiar to Aria, but fairly new to Nico.

"Jason?" Aria choked.

"Hi... Uh, sorry for interrupting," Jason said, scratching his head. "Hey, Nico." The skater returned the greeting with a simple head nod. Jason continued, "Well, I kind of need to borrow Aria for the afternoon, so, would you excuse us?" Nico shrugged his shoulders. He didn't want to leave his girlfriend alone with another guy, but what choice did he have? He didn't want to come off as overly clingy already!

"Yeah, whatever, I wouldn't mind," Nico said, frowning. He tried to smile, but he couldn't. "I'll see ya later, Ari. Call me whenever you can!" He finally could grin for real. He leaned down and pecked her cheek before walking off to his car.

"Jason! What is so important?" Aria demanded. "I hate to be rude, because I really am happy that you're back in town, but I was on a date with him!"

"You're moving a little too quickly with him. I thought you two were just friends," Jason said, trying a little too hard to hide the jealousy in his voice.

"Well, after you left, things changed. He finally asked me out," Aria said, shrugging. "And who are you to decide that we're moving too fast? We were just kissing! We have both liked each other for a while. I like him a lot, so what's your problem?"

"I don't have a problem at all, I was just curious," Jason lied. "But that's not why I called for you, Aria. I wanted to visit Alison's grave. I wanted to visit it with somebody I know. Somebody I'm close with. And you're really the only one in this town who still cares for me."

Aria felt flattered, but asked, "What about Spencer? She's your half sister. I know you guys were in a dispute before you left, but I'm sure she's forgiven you after all these years."

"I thought she would have been over it, too, but the girl can really hold a grudge," Jason said, sighing. "I called Spencer several times. She... she said she didn't feel like talking to me. So, things aren't really peachy between us."

"Okay, well if this town has nobody good, why did you come back?" Aria asked, confused. "If it's a town where the people don't even care for you, what's the point of coming back? To be lonely again?"

"Family," Jason responded. "My mom's really sick, and I had to be here for her. She's too sick to come with me to visit Alison's grave, but, she wouldn't have, anyways. That grave haunts her way too much. She wouldn't go even if she could have. Plus, I would much rather go with you than Spencer or my mom. I have a lot more fun with you than anybody else."

Aria smiled a little bit and said, "Wow, you make me feel really loved."

* * *

Afrer Jason put flowers at Alison's grave, the duo left the cemetery. They sat on the bench of a nearby park, sighing, and just taking a moment to calm down. Even though she was a bitch, Aria and Jason both missed her a lot.

"You know, it's been so many years, but I still think about her every day," Aria told him.

"If I didn't think about her every day, I wouldn't be here right now," Jason said, offering her a smile.

"Jason... I still don't understand something," Aria said, and turned to face him. He nodded curiously, opening the situation for questions. So, she asked, "Why did you want me to come more than anybody else? I'm sure you have somebody else in Rosewood."

"Yeah, I have a couple friends. Mostly old college friends that are all drunks. But, I didn't want to go searching through a sea of meaningless people, you know? Alison, while a huge pain in the ass, was my sister, and she meant something to me. I wanted to bring somebody that meant something to me," Jason explained. "And you mean something to me. You're not just a tag along, you're somebody I know that cares. I didn't want to bring a drunk that doesn't care about my sister to her grave."

Aria smiled. She reached over and took Jason's hand into her own, and gave it a gentle squeeze. He smiled back at her, and they sat there together, peaceful, and just forgot the world.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's note: This picks up a day after the incident with Toby at the door. If you need a refresher... Spencer and Wren are happy and together, but when Wren wants to build a barn in their home, Toby shows up as one of the carpenters on the job!

Chapter 7

* * *

**Spencer**

"I mean, _of course_ Cavanaugh is the one who is working on our house," Wren complained for the millionth time. He was so aggravated with the arrangement. "How could this even happen? I want him out of our house!"

Spencer sighed and took Wren's hand.

"Look, Wren, just calm down, he's just here to do his job, okay?" Spencer reminded. "You don't have to complain anymore. When the project is done, he won't come back, and you'll have your wish. God."

"Don't get frustrated with me, Spencer!" Wren cried. "The last person I want in this house is your ex-boyfriend. What if he still has feelings for you?"

"That's preposterous!" Spencer scoffed, rolling her eyes. "We broke up like four years ago. If he still has feelings for me, that would just be weird. He's probably found a new girlfriend by now, so stop freaking out. Besides, I don't like him back. The only person I want to be with right now is you."

"Promise?" Wren asked, gazing into her eyes.

"I promise," Spencer responded, and pecked his lips for a brief second.

* * *

"Hey," Toby said, stepping into the kitchen. "Matias had an accident. He fell off the ladder, and Antonio asked me to come in here and ask you if you have ice. Got any? Ice packs, preferably, but I don't want to be too picky."

"Oh, that's awful!" Spencer cried. "The poor guy! Come here, I'll get him some ice for his injury."

"Thanks," he said emotionlessly, stepping deeper into the kitchen.

"Here," she said, handing him an ice pack.

Their fingers lingered, and it was the most awkward moment she had in years. Her eyes looked up and met his oceanic blue orbs, but quickly glanced away, not wanting to make it more awkward than it already was.

"Look," Toby began, sighing, "I know we have a history, Spencer, but I didn't come here to start any trouble. I know that's what Wren thinks I came here to do, but I didn't. I came here for the job, and nothing else. And I think it needs to stay that way, but... could we at least try and be friends? I mean, it's been a long time."

"We never talked about the way we broke up," Spencer said, looking down sadly. She felt like she was about to cry. "How could you?"

"I don't even know what I did!" Toby cried. "You just broke up with me."

"Well, I know you know, but I don't want to talk about it again," Spencer said, swallowing hard. "I think you should just take the ice pack and give it to your little friend."

"Right. That's probably the best," Toby muttered, sighing. "I'll get this to Matias. Thank you."

Her heart broke all over again as she watched him walk away. Interrupting her sad moment was Wren walking down the stairs. He did a little twirl and kissed Spencer's cheek.

"Hello, Teddy Bear," he said, grinning cheerfully. Then he noticed that she was upset. "Sweet heart, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she lied, shaking her head. "I was just... I was just thinking of a sad ending to this movie that I like. That I love, actually."

"Oh, okay," Wren said, even though there was a hint of disbelief in his voice. He hugged her anyways, and held her close in his arms.

* * *

"All right, handsome, I'm going down to the Brew to get some coffee, you want to come with me?" Spencer asked, running a hand through her British boyfriend's soft hair.

"I wish, but no..." Wren said, sighing. "Since the crew isn't working here on Fridays, the hospital wants me to go down and do some work. I'm so sorry, love."

"Hey, it's fine, I'm used to it, anyways," Spencer half joked.

"Oh, come on, sweet heart, don't do that," Wren said, sighing. "I already feel bad enough that I can't come! I promise I'll make it up to you. Have a wonderful day, my princess." He pecked her lips before walking out the door.

Spencer drove herself to the Brew to get coffee. After all those years, the coffee joint was still bustling with people, and still looked new and in good condition.

When she walked into the coffee shop, she saw somebody she wasn't expecting to see. Two people, actually. Wait, no, three people!

Toby Cavanaugh. Caleb Rivers. Some blonde girl that wasn't Hanna.

Without hesitation, she stepped up to them. Caleb grinned at her widely when he saw her, and instantly pulled her in for a hug.

"Spencer, it's been a long time!" Caleb exclaimed. "How are you doing?"

"I'm great..." she muttered. "You're back in Rosewood?"

"Yeah, I am, I am," Caleb said cheerfully. "I'm having my wedding here. I would like you to meet my fiancé, and future wife. This is Shelby. She's a real doll."

Spencer sort of smiled. She stuck out her hand for the blonde to shake, and she did. Shelby really did look like a genuinely nice girl.

"So, what's going on here?" Spencer asked.

"Oh, I saw Toby here, and I wanted to invite him to our engagement party this Saturday!" Caleb exclaimed. "You should come, too. You're definitely invited. After all, you're Toby's girlfriend."

"What? No!" Spencer choked. "Caleb, we broke up a while ago."

"Oh... Whoops?" Caleb said, shrugging. "Well, you're still invited, so, show up! Tell your other BFFs to swing by, too. I'm psyched for this weekend. Shelby and I have been waiting to celebrate for a long time. Come on, Shell, let's go spread the word to more people."

"I have to make some calls to our Ravenswood friends to invite them to come, too!" Shelby exclaimed, linking arms with Caleb.

The engaged couple walked off.

"Can you believe it?" Spencer asked, turning to face Toby.

"Believe what?"

"That he's marrying that girl!" Spencer cried. "Didn't you always think it would be Hanna and Caleb in the end?"

"Never really thought about that," Toby said, shrugging his shoulders as if it meant nothing to him. "I mean, a lot of people seem like they're going to end up together. Those people spend so much time together, fall in love, maybe have this what feels like an epic love story... but then everything ends, and that's the end. They find other people, and that whole cycle starts over. With the new person, they feel like they have that same epic thing going on."

Spencer bit her lip. She paused herself for a moment before asking, "Is that supposed to mean something? Are you trying to say something?"

"No, not at all," he said, turning away. "So, are you going to the engagement party?"

"I guess, I mean, I don't have plans. It would be just plain rude not to," she said.

"Oh, cool. I guess I'll see you there," he said, half smiling and walking away.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

* * *

**Hanna**

"No Hanna, I'm not gonna do it!"

"Why not?"

"_Because_."

"Please, I really need this!" she pleaded. "Travis, please."

"Pretending to be your boyfriend for that Caleb guy?" he asked, sighing. "Look, it's pretty deceitful, and I don't like that. Besides, if he has a fiancé, I don't see why you had to lie and say you have a boyfriend when you don't."

"Because he's my ex!" Hanna cried. "I couldn't let him know that I'm still living single while he's planning his marriage."

Travis sighed and asked, "Why don't you ask somebody else? You have a lot of friends that are probably willing to do this for you. Guys."

"No, I don't want them!" Hanna whined. "The only person I really could think of was you. I wouldn't feel comfortable with anyone else."

"Comfortable? I'm not comfortable with being your fake boyfriend," Travis said, sighing. "What am I even supposed to do? Hold your hand when Caleb comes around?"

Hanna nodded her head brightly and exclaimed, "That's exactly what I want you to do! Come on, I want him to get jealous."

"Are you trying to make him end his engagement with that girl?" Travis asked.

"It could work! Will you please do it?" Hanna pleaded.

"Fine," he gave in. "For you."

"Thank you, I love you!" Hanna exclaimed, and hugged him tightly. "Travis, thank you so much. You don't understand how much it means to me."

* * *

Hanna, walking by the cupcake store, started glancing at all the delicious looking pastries in the window. When she turned around, she saw Caleb approaching. She looked to her right and left, but didn't see Shelby anywhere. Was he finally talking to her?

"Hanna, hey," he said pulling his backpack over his shoulders. "I want to ask you something."

"You do?" Hanna asked, her face brightening up. "What is it?"

"Have you seen Emily lately?" Caleb asked.

And then Hanna frowned. She was disappointed, really. That was what he wanted from her? She thought he had finally wanted to have a conversation with her! A good conversation, unlike their one from the previous day, which hadn't gone as she wanted at all.

"No!" Hanna yelled. "No, I haven't seen Emily lately! God, why the hell would you ask me that?"

"What? What are you freaking out for?" Caleb asked, furrowing his eyebrows. "Hanna, all I did was ask you where Emily is! I just want to talk to her!"

"So you were using me to get to Emily?" Hanna demanded angrily.

"No!" Caleb cried. "This wasn't supposed to be so dramatic! I just remembered that you're friends with her, and I wanted to invite her to the engagement party, but I can't find her anywhere."

"Well, sorry, I can't help you, since all you want from me is to find Emily!" Hanna snapped. "But why don't you try Paige? She's Emily's wife, after all!" Her voice was even angry when she yelled the last part. She stormed away, feeling humiliated, even though she didn't know why.

Caleb was left there, lost and confused. Lucky for him, his fiancé walked up to him and pressed a long kiss on his lips.

"Hey, babe," he said, grinning.

"Hey there," she greeted warmly. "Did you find Emily?"

Caleb shook his head and explained, "I can't find her anywhere. I asked Hanna, since they're friends and all, but, she got all offended for some reason. Anyways, she told me that Paige and Emily are married, so maybe we can try Paige?"

Shelby nodded her head and said, "I can't wait to meet all of your friends this weekend!"

Caleb happily smiled at her and hugged her.

Into her ear, he whispered, "I love you, Shelby Rivers."

"I'm not Rivers yet..." she whispered, her lips dragging down his neck.

"You will be," he said, pulling back. "I love the way it sounds. Shelby Rivers. Nothing has ever felt so right to me before."

"I know!" Shelby exclaimed. "I love it. I love _you_."

She leaned in, and their lips met for a long and passionate kiss.

* * *

The small house's door opened. The fit brunette's mouth hung slightly open when she saw who was at the door. She didn't want company. She was just about to head out, and she didn't need someone stopping her.

"Caleb..." she mumbled. "What are you doing here?"

"I want to talk to Emily," he said. "Oh, and this is my fiancé Shelby."

"Oh," she said, biting her lip hard. "Look, Emily isn't here right now."

"Damn. When can I see her?" Caleb asked.

"Not right now, Caleb. Just not right now," she said, shaking her head. "We have something to take care of, and I don't have time for this. It was nice to see you again, but I need to get going. Please, just don't talk with us right now. We have something to deal with."

Paige Fields-McCullers brushed right past Caleb Rivers and his fiancé, not caring what he had to say. She shut her door before walking to her car, turning the key, and driving to the police station. She was going to see Emily again, and nothing would stop her. Her wife was the person that meant more to her than anybody in the world, so she was going to see her.

* * *

"I can't wing it," Travis said, shaking his head. "You've gotta tell me what to do, Hanna."

The blonde sighed and said, "Okay, okay. I'll help you with this. Pretend I'm your girlfriend. Go on, do it."

He swallowed hard and nodded his head, "All right. You're my girlfriend."

"Good. What would you say to me... your girlfriend?" Hanna asked.

"Um... B-baby, you look so beautiful?" he tried, but it sounded more like a question than a statement. He was clearly uncomfortable.

Hanna giggled and said, "Wow, I'm just so amused. That was a good start, though. We can perfect this, though! It has to look realistic. It has to look like we've been dating for a really long time."

"Okay, well... What if he doesn't think we're a couple?" Travis asked. "I don't know how to handle this. What am I supposed to do to you? Kiss you? Hold your hand? I don't know if I can do that in front of him. I'm not a good actor, and if you make me do it improv, I really can't. I know relationships aren't supposed to be planned out, but then again, this is all pretend, so what does it matter?"

"We could practice," Hanna said, and he gave her a weird look. "God, Travis, we've been friends for such a long time! Why can't you just feel comfortable doing this?"

"I don't know! Maybe because my friend is asking me to be her fake boyfriend?" Travis sarcastically said, sighing.

Out of nowhere, she got up and kissed his lips. His eyes widened.

"Oh my god!" Travis cried. "Sorry... I... I wasn't expecting that."

"See? It's easy, I'm fine with it!" Hanna exclaimed.

"So you want me to just get used to kissing you when it means nothing?" Travis asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes! Did you want it to mean something?" Hanna joked.

Travis bit his lip and said, "Hanna... I don't know if this is a good idea."

"It's gonna work out, trust me," Hanna said, grinning.


End file.
